Since 1998 the conference has become a regular
academic forum attended by Russian and international scholars. This time the
conference was held under the patronage of UNESCO. This is a great honor and
responsibility for us. In the letter to the organizers, Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura
wrote: “I should like to congratulate you on this important initiative to
promote philosophical reflection, which is one of the central objectives of
UNESCO’s Intersectoral Strategy on Philosophy.”

First of all, it is important to note the high
quality of the presented papers. Their humanistic and optimistic orientation
demonstrates that many scholars from different countries think about human
existence in the terms of metaphysics of respect for a human being.

The 4th conference proceedings were published in
four volumes before the beginning of the conference and were presented to
participants at registration.

The format of the conference has also proved to
be a success: daily plenary sessions in the morning, workshops – in the
afternoon. The simultaneous translation of plenary sessions into three languages
– Russian, English, French – was provided.

As part of the recreation program, the
conference participants toured the city’s historic landmarks, took a trip on the
boat along the Volga river at night, attended a concert of the folk group
“Stanitsa” and watched Cossack dances and songs.

Another important feature of the conference is a
traditional friendly atmosphere contributing to the fruitful exchange of ideas,
to uninhibited and peaceful discussions and creative mood. The conference has
become a fiesta of philosophical paradigms and a place to meet for interesting
people.

The 30 minute-long plenary papers enabled the
authors to present their basic ideas. There have been 26 plenary presentations
according to the Conference Program.

The 4th conference was organized
around two symposia: the first one – “Mythology and the Human Images” – was
devoted to the 100-anniversary of the Romanian scholar Mircea Eliade, the second
symposium – “Metaphysics and Anthropology of Simeon Frank” – was devoted to the
130-anniversary of the Russian thinker.

The working program included 14 workshops,
round-tables, seminars and online sessions on the important issues of the
philosophy of human being – a major focus of many disciplines. In fact, the
conference has become interdisciplinary which ensures its attractiveness and
prospects.

The following workshops operated during the 4th
conference: 1) Metaphysics and Philosophical Anthropology, 2) Human Being in
Social and Political Philosophy, 3) Philosophical and Social/Cultural
Anthropologies, 4) Man in the Circle of Existentialism, 5) Phenomenology of
Human Being, 6) Philosophical Anthropology, Psychology, Psychoanalysis, 7)
Philosophy and Gender Research, 8) Values of Modern Individuals, 9) Heuristic
Possibilities of Philosophical and Religious Anthropology, 10) Philosophy of
Human Being and Philosophy of Language, 11) Humans in the Communicative
Environment, 12) Humankind, Information Society and High Technologies, 13)
Globalization and the Human Prospects, 14) New Approaches and Ideas in Research
of Human Being.

The conference included round-tables organized
by the editors of the journal “Philosophy and Society,” by the Presidium of the
Russian Philosophical Society, and such as “Human Being and the Philosophy of
Diversity”, “Human Being, Sign and Machine”, “Anthropological Prospects in the
21st Century.”

On the first day of the conference there was
held an international meeting of women philosophers in support of the famous
UNESCO’s initiative. Later the list of women philosophers was sent to the UNESCO
office in Paris.

The Philosophical Studio of Oscar Brenifier
(France) started its work on the third day of the conference. Its work continued
even after the conference ended, as it turned out that many Russian teachers are
interested in the French experience in practical philosophy and philosophical
practice.

Two internet sessions have drawn much attention.
For example, the conference participants who were in Romania and Botswana were
able to present their papers and discuss them online (with the moderator being
at the Internet-center of Volgograd State University).

Besides the conference participants attended the
vernissage “Philosophy and Fractal Art” by the Romanian artist ViGuera, the
Romanian photo exhibition “Life and Work of Mircea Eliade” and the book
exhibition of the Oxford University Press (United Kingdom).

In conclusion, we would like to cordially thank
Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO and his colleagues –
especially Moufida Goucha and Pierre Sané – for the support of our forum.

Our special thanks for his consideration and
help are extended to Mr. Grigory Ordzhonikidze, Executive Secretary of the
National Commission for UNESCO at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian
Federation.

We greatly appreciate the contribution of Mr.
Badarch Dendev, the Director of the UNESCO Moscow Office and Ms. Alla Ampar,
Assistant to the Director for Social and Human Sciences.

The Organizing Committee highly appreciates
financial support from the Russian Foundation for the Humanities and the
Volgograd Region Administration.

Finally, we would like to thank all the
conference participants; it is only due to their interesting reports and active
participation that this forum became possible and we were able to convene this
celebration of philosophy.

Hopefully, the 5th International
Conference “Human Being in Contemporary Philosophical Conceptions” will be held
in 2010 under the patronage of UNESCO as well.